In ATP795P, Sunshine said the Thor-1 rig has finishing working over the Lacerta-8 and Lacerta-30 coal seam methane wells, and is now on location at Lacerta-24.

The Mitchell Rig-123 has moved back to the Lacerta area and is expected to spud the Lacerta-17 core hole tomorrow.

Before arriving at Lacerta, this rig was in Sunshine’s ATP684P permit, where it was able to resume drilling the Atria-2 well to a total depth of 372m after the heavy rainfall.

Preliminary results from wireline logs, core inspection and testing of this week have been “extremely encouraging”, according to managing director Tony Gilby.

“One of the seams intersected at an approximate depth of 320m was some 8m thick and exhibited a visually high gas content, which when undergoing permeability testing, flowed free gas to surface,” he said.

“The potential for Atria to contain a significant CSG resource has now been demonstrated.”

But Gilby said the area needed further evaluation to better define the extent and nature of this potential resource.

Growler-2

Elsewhere, VicPet has announced that drilling is likely to resume on its Growler-2 appraisal well in the next 10 days, as long as there is no further rain in the area.

Currently, the access road to Growler-2 is too wet to allow drilling materials and supplies to be transported to the rig.

The well, which is only at a depth of 208m, is being drilled to appraise the Growler oil field and test a 16m oil column discovered in the Jurassic Birkhead Formation by the discovery well.

The participants in Growler-2 and PEL 104 are operator Victoria Petroleum with a 40% stake, Impress Energy (40%) and Roma Petroleum (20%).